Sea-Salt- Ses Saline’s d’Es Trenc

Now, I rarely use salt.I think processed table salt is just awful and I have found out recently just had bad it is for your health. Now despite the fact we’re constantly being advised to reduce our daily salt intake, this is the oldest and most used seasoning. Chefs and cooks can’t do without it!

Sea- salt does have greater health benefits, it has higher concentrations of magnesium, potassium, calcium and micro nutrients than table salt which makes it much better for us. In a warmer climate a degree of salt is required.

Mallorca combines the three factors needed for the production of pure and high-quality sea salt: crystal-clear sea water, high temperatures and sea breezes. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the extraction of this precious mineral started centuries ago. In fact, the first salt exploitation's in Mallorca date back to over 2,000 years ago. In recent times, this industry has grown significantly. The most important salt mines are located in Ses Salines d’Es Trenc. They produce an astounding amount of 15,000 tons of sea salt per year and cover an area of 172 hectares.

The Las Salinas factory produces salt in the method first used by the Phoenicians thousand's of years ago. The process of evaporation of the water in immense 'pans' produces pure, high quality salt. Las Salinas covers a vast area, as large man-made salt lakes on slightly different levels are required to process the gradually evaporating sea water as the salt crystals slowly form and are stored in great heaps. The salt is used for varying purposes; in industry, in the home, for chemical processes, water purification and in swimming pools. In cooking the salt can be used for everyday purposes both in fine and rough grains. The Flor de Sal (which translates as sea blossom salt) is a gourmet salt, which is a growing business as the demand increases for high quality, natural ingredients with home cooks and chefs alike.

Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc is harvested by hand. The salt workers still use traditional rakes to extract the salt flower from the surface of the water and then dry it under the sun. The production and packaging are also done by hand, a total of 15 people are involved in the process. The Flor de Sal is stored in natural baskets and then sun-dried the next day. Finally, it is flavoured with Mediterranean herbs and spices such as: orange, lemon, hibiscus, black olive, lavender and rosemary. Today’s ranges include limited editions, like curry and one with beetroot. All the additives, are fresh, natural, local and often organic. There is a plain variety which has nothing added or removed, making it a 100% natural. You only need to use a very small amount so it lasts for ages. My personal favourite is the lemon.

In fact, Flor de Sal d´es Trenc is the most precious salt in the Mediterranean and without a doubt one of the island’s most important products. Mallorca’s gastronomic reputation owes something to an enterprising Swiss-German woman, Katja Wöhr, who moved to the island in 2002. The previous year, she had been fascinated by the harvesting of Fleur de Sel during a visit to France. She came to Mallorca and was the first person to harvest and commercialise Flor de Sal from the salt marshes behind Es Trenc. Which is a white sandy beach within an officially protected area that’s home to 180 species of birds. In 2003, after obtaining the necessary licence, Katja and a friend began to harvest Flor de Sal manually, using the traditional French rake known as a lousse. Initially, they bagged the crystals and sold them, alongside an honesty box, at the entrance to the salt marshes. Visitors to the Es Trenc beach would buy the salt as a souvenir. Its still a great reminder of your holiday in Mallorca.

It was the involvement of Marc Fosh, the British chef and owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Marc Fosh in Palma who aided the product’s early success. 

Marc explains, I’d already been using my own home-made flavoured salts in my kitchen and suggested producing flavoured flor de sal to. We had several different tastings over the following weeks and finally decided on black olive, Mediterranean herbs, and hibiscus, as the first, flavours.

 He attributes the real success to Katja who was a real trailblazer and he was extremely happy to play a small part in the success of Flor de Sal d’es Trenc.

You can buy online on the Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc website and at the company’s four shops on the island of Mallorca. Specialist food stores around the world do stock the range too. There are lots of flavoured salts on the market these days, but as a non-salt lover these have really converted me to using and enjoying a little more salt.